Lindsay du Vin

Attending the Sauternes tasting at the ’09 Primeurs reminded me a bit like a scene out of Goldfinger—nearly all bottles were draped in shiny gold foil. For sure, it made quite the impression. However, I wondered why producers would go through the effort of individually wrapping each barrel sample—was it really just for show?

This was not the case for the red Bordeaux samples. Producers either used the same label (with the prior vintage being crossed out and the current vintage written in) or employed a special label devoted just to barrel samples. However, for the Sauternes samples, each bottle was wrapped individually, a producer label placed on the outside of the foil, and the usual neck label added to complete the packaging.

As I’ve learned these past few weeks while re-visiting ’09 Bordeaux samples together with my colleagues at Millesima, this rather exquisite packaging is not reserved solely for the Primeurs tastings. Even now, the half-bottles of Sauternes we receive on a weekly basis are still arriving decked out in their gold foil.

So, I decided to investigate further…

Going straight to the source, I asked a friend and fellow Wine MBA grad, Guillaume Forcade, who is now the Marketing & Export Manager at Château Broustet. According to Guillaume, the reason behind using the gold foil mostly has to do with keeping the wine from spoiling at such a young phase in its development.

Though completely fermented at the time of Primeurs (end of March), dead yeast is still present in the wine. Generally, these dead yeast cells would fall to the bottom of the barrel and be racked off. However, at the time the samples are drawn, the yeast has not yet made it to the bottom and consequently, continues to float around in the wine. However, when the dead yeast is exposed to UV rays, it will start to break down and impart acrid, bitter flavors to the wine—what Guillaume refers to as “the taste of light”. Therefore, the outside wrapping is necessary to shield the light and prevent the dead yeast cells from decomposing. However, in the case of red wines, this isn’t necessary because the tannins are there to shield the UV rays.

On a further note, Guillaume did add there is indeed also an aesthetic reason for using the outside wrapping—-the wines are not clear at the time of Primeurs, which could give tasters (accustomed to viewing pristine bottles of Sauternes) a bad initial impression. In this regard, I’d say the gold foil more than solved that concern—these bottles are dressed to impressed!

During the Primeurs campaign last month, I was glad to have met with David Bolomey, who’s compiled this terrific table that lets you compare the rankings of well-known wine critics, as well as futures pricing. Even if you’re just remotely interested in Bordeaux wine futures, you really should check this out. You can sort by critic, vintage, appellation, etc… It’s very user-friendly, and honestly, a lot of fun to play with.

So, I found myself sorting the wines by critic—and when I came upon Robert Parker, the wine to appear at the top of the list (coming in at 98-100 points with an asterisk no less!) was the name Hosanna (for alphabetical reasons, Cos d’Estourel was actually listed first, but both tied for the top Parker scores)

Hosanna? What is that? It sounds more like a church hymn than a wine producer… Well, sure, Bordeaux is a vast region of 10,000+ producers, so I can’t expect to know them all. However, between living here—and especially working for a fine wine merchant—I’ve by now gotten a fairly decent grasp on the top names. I recognized the other names in the chart, but this one didn’t even sound remotely familiar.

So, I did the usual thing and googled Hosanna: “a liturgical word in Judaism and Christianity…” Oops, not that one. I then inserted “chateau” and this time I got a winery: “Château Hosanna, formerly Château Certan-Giraud, is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Pomerol…”

Okay, it used to be called something else… that explains things a bit. So, after some brief research, here’s the basics on Parker’s (tied for) #1 rated ’09 Bordeaux barrel sample:

• Appellation: Pomerol
• Planted acreage: 11 acres
• Grape varieties: 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc
• Soil: mix of clay and gravel
• Production: ~ 18,000 bottles

Chateau Hosanna used to be called Chateau Certan Giraud, but the name changed after it was purchased in 1999 by Estates Jean-Pierre Moueix (same owners of Pétrus). The former property was divided into Hosanna and a smaller plot (just 5 acres) that today is Château Certan Marzelle.

According to the wine’s technical sheet, it was renamed Hosanna because the name evokes “praise and acclamation.” Well, if all it took was 10 years to become Parker’s top-rated wine, then that must be true…

One of the world’s most renowned wine tastings is the Bordeaux Primeurs. This event is not open to the general public, but organized specifically for the wine trade as a venue to gather professionals from around the world to taste the most recent vintage. Each spring, thousands of journalists, critics, importers, sommeliers, and other influential personalities descend upon Bordeaux to sample wines from the most recent vintage. [Read more]

Last week was my first Primeurs campaign. I’d call it a “whirlwind tour” of Bordeaux because it was amazing just how much ground we covered in a 24-hour period, hitting all appellations at every venue organized through the Union des Grands Crus (UGC). We began on Tuesday afternoon with the Left Bank, and then finished up with the Right Bank (along with Graves/Pessac-Leognan) on Wednesday morning.

However, aside from developing my own impressions of the wines sampled, there were two aspects about the UGC tastings that were quite apparent for this first-time attendee:

#1 – Not all chateaux were present. It’s quite obvious that the ϋber-prestigious chateaux (and those aspiring such status) intentionally separate themselves from the regular UGC tastings to convey more prestige and have full control over how their wines are presented (usual strategy for any luxury brand). Instead, these chateaux hold on-premise private tastings by appointment only.

One of the most notable departures this year was Pontet-Canet, who pulled out fairly last-minute (it was still listed in the tasting manual—what a tease!). However, I can understand Pontet-Canet’s strategy—this estate is really aiming high, particularly with its biodynamic story, and based on the publicity I keep seeing, it’s doing a great job.

However, I was content with attending just the UGC tastings. The Primeurs campaign is intense, and tasting wine en primeur requires a strong learning curve that takes time (and I imagine many successive campaigns) to become truly adept at evaluating these wines. Furthermore, I’m considering purchasing wine futures myself this year and know I could never afford any of the labels doing private sessions. So, I’d rather taste the wines within my price range.

The UGC Pomerol tasting at Château Gazin - It was lunchtime so the spittoon/person ratio was more favorable!

#2 – Purple Teeth and Bad Aim! Being a very hygienic person, this is still something I’m coming to terms with since working in the wine industry. I’m someone who always travels with toothbrush and toothpaste, mouthwash, and Trident White chewing gum—all serious palate killers when it comes to tasting wine.

So, here I am at Primeurs, with hundreds of wines to be sampled (mostly red), and everyone looks like they just ate Barney. After going through the Pauillac appellation I headed to the bathroom and literally gasped when I looked in the mirror: my God, not only were my teeth violet, but so were my lips—even my nose was a little stained from the rim of the glass. Of course, I could take comfort in knowing that I looked like everyone else, but still… yuck-o!

However, worse than purple teeth is the concept of spitting the wine back out—yes, it’s absolutely essential to spit, and honestly, I do have fun spitting. However, what is less appealing is the fact that the spit doesn’t always make it into the spittoon. At the UGC tastings, I estimated the spittoon per person ratio to be around 1:12, which means you often had to take turns spitting. Usually it’s a game of gestures with both people signaling the other to go first. Sometimes you manage, but other times you end up spitting simultaneously. When that happens, there’s excessive splatter and the wine bounces back. Obviously, not a pretty sight—I imagine it is this phenomenon that explains the numerous stained ties and blouses you’ll see at these tastings.

Rule of thumb: Dress in black!

It’s the day before the official start of Primeurs 2009 and Bordeaux is buzzing—tour buses are everywhere, the crowds around Grand Theater make the city center resemble Times Square, and there’s a noticeable increase of non-French auto labels cruising the streets.

I’m excited to be a part of the action tomorrow afternoon as I head over with my work colleagues to taste Médoc and Sauternes (continuing with the Right Bank and Graves on Wednesday). My Wine MBA classes are finished and I’m now completing stage two of my program: an internship to acquire professional industry experience. I was fortunate to have been offered a position with the wine merchant Millesima to help them develop sales in the U.S. market, which is why I’ll have the chance to attend this year’s Primeurs tasting.

In preparation for the approaching campaign, I was asked to revise a script for a video we’re producing to inform customers about the En Primeur process and provide a little background information into this rather unique method of selling a product that doesn’t quite yet exist (well, the wine is there, but the bottle is two years down the road!).  

While going through the text, I found myself intrigued by a section devoted to the history of the Primeurs campaign. Though the campaign itself originates in Bordeaux, the process of selling wine en primeur (or as futures) actually began in Portugal with the sale of Port wine. The British developed this system during the early 18^th century when a war with France dwindled their supply of “claret” and lead them to Portugal, a longtime ally, to satisfy their wine cravings (though I honestly can’t see how people can go from drinking a light-bodied red wine, then suddenly switch to Port…).

In the later part of the 18^th century, after things calmed down and relationships between France and England improved, the British introduced the process of selling wine as futures to Bordeaux. At the time, this method of selling made financial sense as estates were facing an economic downturn and needed financing to continue production. By selling their wine en primeur, producers received advanced payment that covered operating expenses and guaranteed the upcoming harvest.

Unlike today, wine futures were only purchased by merchants. In fact, up until the 1970s, merchants only marketed the wine to customers at the moment of bottling, or slightly beforehand. There also wasn’t a regular tasting resembling today’s Primeurs campaigns. Merchants would simply taste the wines they were interested in selling, then place an order. Furthermore, those wines they did taste would be sampled much later in the year, or sometimes the following year after a longer aging period.

The process changed in the 1970s as a new population of wine-drinking Americans developed and started buying large amounts of Bordeaux. For this reason, 1970 is considered the first successful consumer-oriented En Primeur campaign. However, the real boost came in the spring of 1983 when Robert Parker arrived in Bordeaux to give his opinion on the ’82 vintage… and well, the rest is history!

Though I imagine most people nowadays are focused on Bordeaux’s 2009 En Primeur campaign (happening next week) the region’s 2008 wines are also still in the barrel. These wines have been aging since roughly November 2008 and will be bottled later this year for market release in late 2010/ early 2011.

Now that I’m living in Bordeaux, I’m often asked the question, “why is Bordeaux wine so expensive?” Of course, the term “expensive” is relative, but most people are referring to its fine wine market. In Bordeaux, this market consists of the “Grand Cru” wines, or classified growths. When I tell friends and family that I had the opportunity to taste a wine retailing for over $200 a bottle, many can’t fathom why a bottle of fermented juice can fetch such a high price. [Read more]